Crimping sealer construction



Oct. 3, 1939. L. L. SALFISBERG CRIMPING SEALER CONSTRUCTIQN 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1938 ATTORNEY Oct. 3, 1939. L. L. SALFISBERG BRIEFING SEALER CONSTRUCTION Filed April 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I. |41lililllillll=llll HLHHLHH in 43 LE EQKFQE Qmwamw ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 3, 1939 2,175,031

'UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE CRIMPING SEALER CONSTRUCTION Leroy L. Salfisberg, South Orange, N. 1., assignor to Ivers-Lee Company, Newark, N. 1., a corporation of Delaware Application April 20, 1938, Serial No. 203,133

7 Claims, (Cl. 154-42) This invention pertains in general to sealing cal expansion or contraction caused by varying and crimping mechanisms such as used in the temperature conditions. manufacture of packages and containers. Referring to, the drawings in detail, the co- An object of the invention consists in producactingsealing structures consist of a stationary ing a construction of co-acting crimping strucbed I and a movable structure I mounted there- 5 tures, such that the crimping teeth in one strucabove. The structure 2 includes a jaw frame 3 ture will automatically align or register with the mounted by a pivot 4 extending between bosses crimping teeth of the other structure despite ex- 5 and 6. An extending part l, of the frame 3, is pansion which may take place due to heat emmechanically. actuated by a lever 3 adapted to ployed in a crimping and sealing operation. impart a reciprocative of rocking force to the 10 A further object of the invention is to provide frame 3. a crimping mechanism which shall have comple- Suspended from the jaw member 3, is a yoke mentary jaws movable toward and from each structure l0 carrying a pair of crimpingbars ll other to receive and crimp material between and I2. The bars II and I2 are formed of metal them, one of said jaws having crimping parts and the under sides thereof are serrated to form 15 fixed relatively to each other and the other jaw crimping teeth or ridges. The bars H and II are having crimping parts movable relatively to each attached to the yoke III by center bolts l3 and other in the general plane of contact of said I4 and by end guide pins I which ride in end crimping jaws with said material to cause autoslots l6 of the yoke I0. Such a construction matic alinementor meshing of the crimping permits of expansion and contraction of the bars 20 parts of the two jaws by and upon engagement Ii andl2 with reference to the central points of of said jaws with each other. support in the-bolts l3 and I4. The bars ii and Theseandother objects will be apparent from I! carry internal electric heating cartridges I! the following, reference being made to the acand I8 which are connected with a suitable companying drawings in which like reference source of energy supply for heating the bars ll numerals designate corresponding parts, and in and I2. The bed structure I, which in effect cowhich: acts as a complementary jaw for the frame 3, is 'Fig. 1 represents one embodiment of the meprovided withrails 20, 2|, 22 and 23 positioned chanical construction of the invention showing parallel upon the part 2. Between the'pairsof :m the arrangement of the co-acting sealing and rails 20-2l and 2223 toothed crimping parts 80 crimping structures; l are movably mounted. That is, the parts 30 Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus de are provided with central recesses which accompicted in Fig. 1; modate the edges of the rails 20 and 2i as shown, Fig. '3 is an end view of the same apparatus; so that the parts 30 may slide back and forth and parallel'to the general plane of their toothed 35 Fig. 4 isa fragmentary sectional view of an surfaces. The upper portions of the parts 30 alternative form of crimping arrangement. are serrated so as to be mechanically comple- The invention contemplates a sealing mecha-- mentary to the serrated ridges on the under side nism for forming crimped seals in packaging maof crimping bars II and I2. Eccentric nuts 3| 4o terial, particularly where such seals are formed are provided at either end of the rails so as to 40 with heat. In the use of crimping members, the limit or adjust the amount of freedom or moveuse of heat produces expansion such that diiliment of the parts 30, and also to permit of their culties arise in attempting to make different coremoval and replacement. acting crimping members align or register in a In the manufacture of packages, opposed layers crimping operation. According to the invention, 33 and 34 of packaging material may be fed in 45 the crimping teeth or parts of one crimping bar adjacent or overlapping condition between the are spaced in fixed relationship while the c'rimpcrimping bars H and I2 and the crimping parts ing teeth or parts of the other crimping bar are 30. The crimping bars II and I2 are approprimounted for relative movement in a plane parately heated, and actuated by lever 3 to press allel with the general plane of contact of the the edges of the layers 33 and 34 into forced inso crimping parts or teeth of the two bars with the tercligitation or crimping relationship by virtue layers so" that the crimping parts of each bar of the cooperating action of the crimping parts automatically shall align, register or mesh with II, I! and 30. The expansion and contraction of the crimping parts of the other bar in a sealing bars II and I2 is compensated for by movable to operation and thereby compensate for mechaniadjustment of the parts 33 which is efl'ected automatically when the ridges of the bars II and I2 press against the corresponding ridges of the parts 30. In this way, the proper registration of the crimping members is maintained at all times material.

of operation of the sealing equipment.

Fig. 4 shows an alternative form of crimping arrangement. It will bev seen that the crimping element 30a, including one or more teeth, is movably'mounted, in a flange member In. for movement in directions perpendicular to the general plane of contact of said teeth with the layers of Beneath the crimping element 30a, a resilient supporting block 20a of rubber or the like is provided. When pressure is brought upon the crimping element 30a, the crimping element 30a .will be depressed to accommodate itself for various thicknesses of material. Thus, when such resilient backing is provided as inv the arrangement of Fig. 2, the various thicknesses of material, such as a bag with folded seams, can be sealed producing a uniform sealing throughout.

Although a preferred form of the crimping sealer construction has been disclosed, it will be recognized that various changes and modifications will occur to those skilled in the art but which will not depart from the intended scope of the invention. Therefore, no limitation is intended except as pointed out in the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and original to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a crimping machine, a. pair of co-acting crimping structures, one of said crimping structures carrying a plurality of movable crimping parts and having a resilient backing therefore to permit said crimping parts individually to yield for accommodating material having different thicknesses in different parts thereof during crimping operation upon said material.

2. In a mechanism for forming a seal between layers of material, two opposed members movable toward and from each other to press between them said layers of material, each having crimping parts to intermesh with the crimping parts of the other in contact with said layers of material, the crimping parts of at least one member being mounted freely movable in the general plane of contact of the crimping parts of said two members with said material, whereby the crimping parts of each member shall accurately mesh with the crimping parts of said other member in a sealing operation.

3. The mechanism set forth in claim 2,'wherein said movable crimping parts are also mounted for movementindirections perpendicular to said general plane of contact of said crimping parts of said two members, and with the addition of a resilient support for said movable crimping parts to permit said parts to yield individually for accommodating different thicknesses of layers of material at different locations between said members during sealing operations on said layers of material.

4. The mechanism set forth in claim 2, with the addition of means for heating the crimping parts of one of said members, and wherein movement of said movable crimping parts compensates for thermal expansion and contraction of the crimping parts.

5. In a mechanism for forming a seal between layers of material, two opposed members movable toward and from each other to press between them said layers of material, each having crimping parts to intermesh with the crimping parts of the other in contact with said. layers of material, one of said members having a channel structure and a plurality of crimping parts that are freely slidably mounted in saidchannel structure to move in the general plane of contact of said crimping parts of the two members with said material, whereby said slidable crimping parts shall automatically mesh with the crimping parts of the other member during a sealing operation.

6. A crimping machine including a pair of coacting jaws to receive material to be crimped between them, a plurality of crimping teeth fixedly mounted on one jaw and a plurality of toothed crimping parts complementary to said crimping teeth mounted on the other jaw whereby said crimping teeth and said toothed crimping parts intermesh with each other in contact with said material upon movement of said jaws toward each other, said toothed crimping parts being mounted individually freely movable in the general plane of contact of said crimping teeth and said toothed crimping parts with said material so ing parts whereby said crimping parts can individually yield to accommodate diiferent thicknesses of material at difierent locations between said crimping teeth and said crimping parts during a crimping operation.

LEROY L. SALFISBERG 

